2020… A year none of us will forget that is for sure! However, it gave us a lesson in adaptation.
We went from working in offices and having in-person meetings, meeting friends for drinks or dinner, playing sports or going to the movies or theater as the only way to function, to all of a sudden, being forced to adapt…and quickly. Suddenly everyone needed to be set up to work from home. Drinks and dinner with friends became virtual. We got creative. I know my friends and I found ways to stay connected during a time that was overwhelming and isolating by doing virtual games and Saturday night “hangouts” through online platforms. We got to see a different side of co-workers and clients as we were now sometimes with them in their kitchen or guest bedroom. We got to see their cats and dogs and really bond on a more personal level.
As humans we get so used to our routine and set way of doing things that the universe decides we need a shakeup – that we need a new way of doing things. It likes to challenge us. Because if we are honest – we are here on Earth to learn. It is basically one big classroom. We are each on our different paths and each here to have our own unique experiences.
Having the insight provided from Vedic Astrology allowed me to understand that this year would be one for the books. I was prepared for whatever the universe was going to throw our way. Did I love being stuck at home 24/7…no… but I have found other ways to use the time when I would normally be traveling. I found other ways to connect with my friends. We got creative. We found that as humans we are so much more than the material world.
One of the questions I have for you is: Did you learn the lesson that the universe was trying to teach you this year?
Its years like this when we can truly learn a lesson from the land. We need to ebb and flow with what is given to us and adapt and change as the situations arise. Think about a glacier. It stays in its place but it is influenced by the weather. Some years it melts more and others it adds to its ice and snow collection but it always handles what it is given. Even the mighty glaciers sometimes lose pieces of themselves but unlike them you are able to find yourself again. It’s about recreating and adapting with where life takes you. Recognizing you are on a journey and it is not a straight line from point A to point B.
Glaciers thrive in the harshest of climates. Think about it: they are at high elevations and at the ends of the earth in very harsh conditions but they thrive. They stand tall and show their beauty and grace. They are an excellent example of how with time things can be created and changed but it takes that time for it to happen. I was thinking back to my trip of the Chilean fjords. They are an example of the work of among other things glaciers carving out elegant rock formations and leaving room for plants to grow and thrive. Plants, which I might add, have adapted to grow in places we never could have imagined. It just shows that we as humans, even when times are at their worst, can survive and figure out how to thrive. It’s going inside and listening to ourselves, it’s learning to be with ourselves, it’s coming together and having those connections with others, it’s the creativity to think outside the box and adapting to whatever is sent our way and becoming stronger for it.
I have a few recommended approaches to adapting during hard times:
• Make a list of what is truly most important to you (e.g. learning, family, friends, arts & crafts, work, reading. etc.)
• Learn something new – read a book, check out podcasts, Great Courses or any of the other ways to learn something and pick something that intrigues you
• Be Present – Take the time to step back, breathe, be in the moment and relax
• Have nights where you turn the TV off – read a book, play a game, have family time, do a puzzle, take up a craft or art that interests you, cook a dish you’ve never cooked before, get a coloring book
• Limit watching the News to no more than 1-2 times a week
• Exercise (walk, yoga, weights, tai chi, run, bike, dance, etc.)
• Write down your thoughts, feelings, ideas and dreams
• Get out in the fresh air (yes… even if its cold!)
• Listen to music that brings you peace, joy or calm
• Take the time to be comfortable with and appreciate being yourself
• Take the time to write down all you have done that is good, that you are grateful for and that you have learned about yourself
What other ideas do you have? What are you going to try? Share in the comments. You never know your idea might just inspire someone else.
In our lives we do not just go through one hard year the whole time we are on Earth. As humans we all will go through many experiences. Good, bad, uncomfortable, exciting and on and on. I hope you take this year as a gift and remember what you learned the next time something uncomfortable or hard comes up.
